FALL / WINTER 2012 Why, During These Iffy Times, Do Designers Want
THE FASHION GROUP FOUNDATION PRESENTS FALL / WINTER 2012 TREND OVERVIEW BY MARYLOU LUTHER NEW YORK • LONDON • MILAN • PARIS Why, during these iffy times, do designers want us to dress like the 1 Percenters? Why do so many of the new fall collections feature jewel- laden, fur-bearing, gold-gilded, paparazzi-rousing clothes? Answer: It’s the economy, stupid. The economy in China, Brazil, Russia, Dubai and other outposts of abundance, where women actually want to look rich. They’ve got it and they want to flaunt it. Serving these customers is, of course, essential to the future of five-figure designer clothes. And it becomes even more pertinent as more and more designers build stores in these enclaves of wealth and status. LANVIN For those who prefer a more discreet way of dressing, there is not only hope, there are options. In fact, there is a new sense of neck-to-toe coverup—one that borders on body armor. It’s the modern expression of protective coloration, identified by high necklines, long, tattoo-hiding sleeves and a circumspect hemline that registers just below the knees, sometimes a little shorter, sometimes longer. (Yes, minis and short skirts are still offered, but they look dated—unless worn over pants.) Said pants are definitely narrow, many with raised waistlines. Pants are also integral to defining a truly new look: A tri-level, three-piece suit that consists of jacket/skirt/pant or jacket/dress/pant. This new pant-involved trilogy is shown by Marc Jacobs, Dries Van Noten, Aquilano Rimondi, Jean Paul Gaultier, Hussein Chalayan, Tess Giberson, Rag & Bone, Louis Vuitton and especially by Chanel, where Karl Lagerfeld takes the look into night, posing above-the-ankle evening dresses CALVIN-KLEIN over cropped, ankle-hovering pants.
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